tomorrow there'll be more of us
by The Crownless Queen
Summary: A collection of triad drabbles/OS. 1-GideonDorcasMarlene, 2-LavenderPansyParvati,
1. The Ball (GideonMarleneDorcas)

For Amber's Valentine Day Drabble Collection: GideonDorcasMarlene - Elegant, and Hogwarts' 365 Prompts Challenge: Restriction - Characters from only one era, the Insane House Challenge: Character - Gideon Prewett, the Fanfic Resolution Challenge: Write a triad or moresome, the Dragon Appreciation Month, the Writing Club: Character Appreciation - House: Gryffindor, Count Your Buttons: (dialogue) "You're doing it wrong.", (character) Marlene McKinnon, the Yule Ball Event: Going Stag - Write about someone going to the ball alone, the Sticker Challenge: Ice Mice - Write a fic set in winter.

 _Word count:_ 500

* * *

 **The Ball**

It was strange, seeing how different the Great Hall looked all decked out for the Yule Ball. The teachers had really gone all out: conjured snow drifted down from the ceiling, though it never seemed to reach the floor (an illusion rather than a conjuration, perhaps?), and candles wreathed in ice floated in the air.

The whole place looked like something out of a fairytale.

"Aren't you glad I made you come, brother?" Fabian asked him, eyes twinkling with a teasing light.

"I wouldn't say _glad_ , exactly," Gideon protested, but it was mostly just for show. He _was_ glad he had let Fabian convince him, even if that meant he had come alone.

"Whatever you say, brother," Fabian retorted. His head snapped up suddenly, looking past Gideon and into the oncoming crowd. "I…"

Gideon rolled his eyes fondly. "Let me guess — you just saw a certain Hufflepuff arrive, didn't you?"

Fabian's cheeks reddened. "Yes."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go find your date — you can hardly spend the whole evening with me. I'll be fine," he added, tone softening. "You don't have to worry."

"Yes, I do," Fabian replied mulishly. "I'm the older one, it's my duty to worry."

"By twelve minutes, I don't think it counts." Gideon stopped himself before they could get further into that debate, or they'd be there all night. "Now go find Bones and ask him for a dance, or whatever it is you old people do these days."

Fabian scoffed but left, though not without casting one last worried worried look Gideon's way, who merely rolled his eyes at him.

His brother gone, Gideon watched the dancers quietly, trying to ignore the twinges of envy in his chest. He saw Fabian, laughing in his boyfriend's arms, and several of their other classmates. All were happy.

But somehow, his eyes kept wandering back to one particular couple: a girl from his house. Marlene McKinnon, paired with that quiet Slytherin who always bested him in a duel. Dorcas Meadowes.

He didn't know who approached him first — only that suddenly he was surrounded by the two girls, their dresses shimmering under the candlelight as they stared up at him.

Marlene, her dark eyes filled with fire, extended a hand. "Wanna dance?"

Gideon blinked, mouth going dry. He looked back at Dorcas, who was watching the proceedings with something akin to hungry fascination.

"With you?"

It was Dorcas who replied. "Yes." Her hand drifted to Marlene's waist, and she kept it there, staring at him mirthfully.

Gideon exhaled deeply. "Alright. Let's dance."

The three of them dancing together was a bit awkward at first.

"You're doing it wrong," Dorcas kept saying, laughing, whenever Gideon narrowly missed stepping on someone's foot.

"Is there a right way to do this?" he countered.

Marlene hummed quietly. This time, when she looked at him, there was a new light in her eyes, almost like he had impressed her.

"I suppose not," she said. "Just whatever works for us."


	2. Of Nail Polish (LavenderPansyParvati)

For Amber's Valentine Drabble Collection: ParvatiPansyLavender - Neon, and Hogwarts' Dragon Appreciation Month, the Insane House Challenge: Location - St. Mungo's, the Weekly Tea Challenge: Indian Spice - Write about Parvati, the 365 Prompts Challenge: Style - Third Person, the Bath Bomb Appreciation Challenge: Lavender Musk - Write about Lavender Brown.

 _Word count:_ 552

* * *

 **Of Nail Polish and Hospital Beds**

Had someone told Parvati that they'd end up there two years ago, she wouldn't have believed them.

And yet, here they were: Lavender and herself, sitting in the same room as Pansy Parkinson, and no blood had been shed.

 _Yet_ , she thought to herself, even though she was mostly fooling herself at this point.

Lavender and Pansy had been sharing a room at St Mungo's for almost six months now, after all. If bloodshed hadn't happened yet, it was unlikely to come.

"What are you looking at, Patil?" Pansy hissed, and though the words were right, her tone was missing that biting edge it had had during their Hogwarts days.

"Nothing," Parvati replied, shifting a little closer to Lavender.

They were sharing Lavender's bed — like every time Parvati came to visit, they had ended up sitting crossed-legs on top of the covers.

It still hit her, sometimes, how close she had come to losing Lavender forever. If the fact that two years after the fact, she still hadn't been released wasn't enough, the scars that marred Lavender's skin always made her heart clench painfully in her chest.

"You can join us, you know," Lavender called out to Pansy, neatly interrupting Parvati's train of thought.

Parvati arched an eyebrow at her girlfriend, who just winked back.

They had talked about this before — asking Pansy to join them. Parvati should have known Lavender wouldn't be satisfied with just waiting for her to come to them.

"You really should, you know," she said out loud, sending a smile Pansy's way. "We don't bite."

"Not unless you ask for it, anyway," Lavender added with a smirk.

Pansy sighed, but Parvati could see her blush. _Progress_ , a part of her thrilled.

"What are you even doing?" Pansy asked, stepping off her bed and walking toward Lavender's. She loudly dragged a chair behind her.

"We're picking colors," Lavender replied, gesturing at the assortment of nail polishes Parvati had brought. "I'm thinking neon pink for mine," she said, holding up the said bottle.

Pansy snatched it out of her hand with a scowl. "You'd better not — unless you want to look like a tramp, or worse, _Skeeter_." Her eyes squirted over the selection until she picked one, a deep purple that looked almost black. "Try this instead."

Lavender accepted it with a smile. "What about Parv? What should she get?"

Having Pansy's full attention on her was so intense it made her shiver. Pansy hummed for a moment before handing her another bottle; a garnet red this time.

Their fingers grazed as Parvati took it, and her heart stuttered as electricity sparked, traveling up her arm.

"T-thanks," she stuttered.

Pansy eyed her for a long moment before looking back at Lavender, and then back at the polishes. "You're welcome."

She cleared her throat and sat. "Well, what do you think _I_ should get?"

Parvati blinked and the oddly charged moment dispelled. She shared a look with Lavender, making sure she hadn't just imagined it, and her smile widened when she got an almost imperceptible nod.

This was definitely a start.

"Hmm… Something green," Parvati finally said, her eyes finding Pansy's easily.

"Maybe some silver too?" Lavender teased.

Pansy huffed out a laugh, but didn't complain.

And with her, that was just as good as any agreement.


End file.
